Okay a warning - we booked a hotel via Hotels.com and had a change of plans - when you read the website it seems as if you should not have issue with canceling a reservation, however that is not the case.

We booked a room for a Motel 8 in AR and had to cancel. Hotels.com say they do not have a cancelation fee, but the hotel does. So I call the hotel to confirm this and they confirm they do not have a cancelation fee. I call hotels.com back and they say the hotel does. They refuse to refund any portion of the booking.

We canceld over a week out, yet we are being charged full price for 3 nights at the tune of $172.

Read the fine print before booking if you use Hotel.com - I think it is a total scam, because the hotels can't help you and hotels.com says it is the hotels that are charging them.

Exactly call your credit card company and dispute the charge. You will have to fill out some papers but you will get your money back. Depending on who your issuing bank is you may be able to dispute the charge online.

FOM

12-01-2008, 01:59 PM

Because I said I "agreed to their terms" I am responsible for the charges......an expensive lesson.

I feel their site is misleading in the wording and it is not made obvious (fine print) that you will be responsible for 100%.

I just want others to be aware of this "loop hole" they have. They claim they have already paid for a block of rooms - so they pay for them regardless.....

I will NOT use them any more......this is the first time out of a dozen that we had to cancel rooms. I've used them in the past for hotels and the deals they offer are great, but watch out if you have to cancel......they will get you.

Just a warning.....at my expense.....

FOM

lizard55033

12-02-2008, 03:31 AM

Exactly call your credit card company and dispute the charge. You will have to fill out some papers but you will get your money back. Depending on who your issuing bank is you may be able to dispute the charge online.

Even though you agreed to their terms...you can contest anything. Which is what you should do.

Steve Amrein

12-10-2008, 09:12 AM

We used some other service like that an had cheap hotels. We had a emergency and had to cancel. We lost our money also and we even tried to have the CC co. go to bat. You can now go on BBB and file a complaint online. It only takes a few minutes and it seems like it stick to them until you are satisfied.

K G

12-10-2008, 09:32 AM

Even though you agreed to their terms...you can contest anything. Which is what you should do.

I'm with Lizard....TOS my butt....if the hotel says they have no policy but Hotel.com says they (the hotel) do, that's enough to contest the charge. Check the hotel's normal cancellation policy while you're at it; hotels.com's policy should not override that of the hotel.

Worst case scenario, you cause them a BUNCH of work. Best case scenario, you get your $ back.

Go for it.

kg

Gene

12-10-2008, 10:38 AM

Had a similar incident when I used expedia to book an airline flight. I had to make a change on my return flight from Saskatoon Canada to Ms. The airlines charged me an extra $ 75.00 on top of their regular fee for making a change to the flight since I bought the tickets off Expedia. The cost of the plane ticket was the same if booked on expedia or directly with the airlines. I used expedia because I wanted to search all airlines but after I found the flight I wanted I then checked to see if it was less directly with airlines and it wasn't so I bought from expedia. Also there is much to compare when shopping for airline tickets now. The bag fees are crazy. I had an overweight bag by 4 pounds and it cost me either $ 50 or $ 75. And on return trip I had an extra bag and it was $ 100. So to change my flight it cost $ 150 regular fee plus $ 75 because I booked expedia plus $ 100 for extra bag-Deer head and antlers). The day I was booked to leave on was a Sunday and this flights busiest day but I changed it to leave on a Thursday. Flight had 2 stops and I missed both connecting flights. Wasn't the best experience coming home. I understand cost associated with changing flights it did take a customer service rep. about 5 minutes. Just surprised by the amount and the extras... Next time I'll book directly with airlines and I'll also check baggage rules before purchasing tickets..

Gene

DoubleHaul

12-10-2008, 12:48 PM

Basically it is the same for all the discount services. They buy the room for a discount and when you buy it from them, you own it. That doesn't bother me so much. That is the risk you take for saving a few bucks.

The problem I have with these services is if something goes wrong you are basically hosed. I stopped using them when a hotel I had online with one of them was full when I got there and was stuck in another one.

I typically search for hotels at one of these sites or kayak.com to see what is available and the prices. Then I go to the hotel site. Typically, you can get it for about the same price and a lot easier if something happens.

CanAmMan

12-10-2008, 02:49 PM

I have had a couple of bad experiences with hotels.com and expedia.com.

That is one reason I got in with Net Trav. Next time try My Net Trav site (http://www.nettrav.com/austyn)

You can get some great deals on vacations, cruises, etc.

Kristie Wilder

12-11-2008, 06:49 AM

Basically it is the same for all the discount services. They buy the room for a discount and when you buy it from them, you own it. That doesn't bother me so much. That is the risk you take for saving a few bucks.

The problem I have with these services is if something goes wrong you are basically hosed. I stopped using them when a hotel I had online with one of them was full when I got there and was stuck in another one.

I typically search for hotels at one of these sites or kayak.com to see what is available and the prices. Then I go to the hotel site. Typically, you can get it for about the same price and a lot easier if something happens.

That is 100% what I do. I look at all of them and compare to the actual hotel -- which almost always has the same deal.

This past weekend, I had made reservations about a month ago at Jameson Inn. Orbitz had a price that nobody else had and it saved me about $40. I had to book and prepay. I said a prayer, crossed my fingers -- couldn't imagine why I'd need to cancel. But I probably wouldn't have done it for other trips where I might have to change.

I will almost never book anything through the travel sites unless it's a super great deal and I am willing to risk it if things don't work out -- this last weekend is the one time that's happened...

-K

BetsyBernock

12-11-2008, 10:01 AM

A few years ago I had a judging assignment in North Carolina and the club arranged the travel for me. They used Expedia.com, and I had to change my outbound flight after all of the arrangements were booked and paid. It was a nightmare. Never again!

Betsy

FOM

12-11-2008, 10:15 AM

Even though you agreed to their terms...you can contest anything. Which is what you should do.

Yes I know I can, however I made a mistake.....I guess I could throw a fit and maybe cause someone else grief, but I did click the button that said "I agreed." I am an intelligent adult and I should of realized the risk, so I am willing to "suck up" my mistake, however I will be better prepared next time and pay better attention.

I just want others to be aware - I recieved a few PMs about this subject and all I could think, sure wished someone smacked me upside the head earlier and posted a warning......please learn from MY screw up and I hope I can save you a few bucks next time.

I don't know if I'll use their site again or not - but having an iphone/blackberry is nice because we can go into a hotel, find out if their walk in rate is cheaper, if not, walk out to our vehicle, get a room online and walk right back in ;)

*** I should add that when booking on hotels.com they clearly state how easy it is to cancel, etc, but then they have a link to the specific cancelation policy for the given hotel you are booking - it is just a link....make sure you click on it and read it!! Do not fall into the lull of "it is so easy to use us" line.

Gene, thanks for the warning about Expedia....I've used them a few times, too. But for trips I knew were "locked" in.

FOM

Shayne Mehringer

12-11-2008, 10:43 AM

Call the CC company and dispute the charges. You'll get your money back immediately and the burden will be on hotels.com to prove their case. (we deal with this pretty regular at EE, someone's wife thinks its a porn site and disputes the charge)

I have used Orbitz a lot... changed flights, changed hotels, etc... with no problem at all. I canceled a trip once and they give me a credit, instead of a refund, but i was ok with that since it was a last minute cancellation.

SM

sam27

12-14-2008, 09:43 AM

I had the same thing with hotels.com. I booked a room through them and the hotel rate was $30 a night less that hotels.com. The hotel said that hotels.com would refund the difference. When I contacted hotels.com they refused and said they buy the reservations in bulk and offer the best rates?